Cards

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printer the machine that lets you put documents and such on paper

mouse what you use to click things on the screen

scanner a machine that lets you put paper documents into your computer

monitor what is another word for computer screen

hardware any phsical part of a computer

software any program on the computer

google the most popular internet search google

chatting talking to other users by typing or using headphones

megabyte one of the many different sizes in regards to computers storage

mp3 music form most played on the computer

keyboard the tool you use to type words onto the computer

usb a small port on your computer that you can attach drives to

flashdrive a mass storage device that is portable that connects through a USB port

spellcheck the program that checks your spelling

paint a program that lets you draw on the computer

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virus a program that destroys your computer sytem

cursor the object on your screen that lets you point at things

email internet mail

mousepad the object that your mouse sits on

cpu the brain of a computer

Basic Computer Terms

Hardware
� ���- The physical parts of a computer -

CPU
Central processing unit; the brain of the computer; controls the other
elements of the computer
Disk Drive
A peripheral device that reads and/or writes information on a disk
Hard Drive
A device (usually within the computer case) that reads and writes
information, including the operating system, program files, and data
files
Keyboard
A peripheral used to input data by pressing keys
Modem
A peripheral device used to connect one computer to another over a
phone line
Monitor
A device used to display information visually
Mouse
A peripheral device used to point to items on a monitor
NIC
Network interface card; a board inserted in a computer that provides a
physical connection to a network
Printer
A peripheral device that converts output from a computer into a
printed image
Software
���� - Instructions executed by a computer -

Applications
Complete, self-contained programs that perform a specific function
(ie. spreadsheets, databases)
Bit
A computer's most basic unit of information
Boot
The process of loading or initializing an operating system on a
computer; usually occurs as soon as a computer is turned on
Browser
A program used to view World Wide Web pages, such as Netscape
Navigator or Internet Explorer
Bug
A part of a program that usually causes the computer to malfunction;
often remedied in patches or updates to the program
Byte
Small unit of data storage; 8 bits; usually holds one character
Click
Occurs when a user presses a button on a mouse which in turn,
generates a command to the computer
Database
A large structured set of data; a file that contains numerous records
that contain numerous fields
Diskette
A small flexible disk used for storing computer data
Double Click
Occurs when a user presses a button on the mouse twice in quick
succession; this generates a command to the computer
Download
Transferring data from another computer to your computer
Drag
Occurs when a user points the mouse at an icon or folder, presses the
button and without releasing the button, moves the icon or folder to
another place on the computer where the button is released
Driver
Software program that controls a piece of hardware or a peripheral
FAQ
Frequently asked question; documents that answer questions common
to a particular website or program
File
Namable unit of data storage; an element of data storage; a single
sequence of bytes
Folder
A graphical representation used to organize a collection of computer
files; as in the concept of a filing cabinet (computer's hard drive) with
files (folders)
Freeware
 Software provided at no cost to the user
Gigabyte
1,073,741,824 bytes or 1,024 megabytes; generally abbreviated GB
GUI
Graphical user interface; uses pictures and words to represent ideas,
choices, functions, etc.
Icon
A small picture used to represent a file or program in a GUI interface
Internet
A network of computer networks encompassing the World Wide Web,
FTP, telnet, and many other protocols
IP number
Internet protocol; a computer's unique address or number on the
Internet
Kilobyte
1,024 bytes; usually abbreviated KB
Megabyte
1,048,576 bytes or 1,024 kilobytes; enough storage to approximately
equal a 600 page paperback book; generally abbreviated Mb
Memory
Any device that holds computer data
Menu
A list of operations available to the user of a program
Network
A collection of computers that are connected
Peripheral
Any of a number of hardware devices connected to a CPU
RAM
 Random access memory; the type of storage that changes; when the
computer is turned off, the RAM memory is erased
ROM
Read-only memory; the type of storage that is not changed even when
the computer is turned off
Scroll Bar
Allows the user to control which portion of the document is visible in
the window; available either horizontally or vertically or both
Shareware
Software provided at a minimal cost to users who are on their honor
to send in payment to the programmer
Spreadsheet
A program arranged in rows and columns that manipulates numbers
Tool Bar
A graphical representation of program activities; a row of icons used
to perform tasks in a program
URL
Uniform resource locator; the address of a site on the World Wide
Web; a standard way of locating objects on the Internet
Virus
A deliberately harmful computer program designed to create annoying
glitches or destroy data
Window
A screen in a software program that permits the user to view several
programs at one time
Word Processor
A program that allows the user to create primarily text documents